Matthew 17:1-13, 22-23

Intro: Mountain Top experience

One of the great joys of hiking is getting to your destination

When we went to Montana we hiked to Avalanche lake in Glacier National Park

In all of the places we have been this is my favorite trail

Grand Canyon, ehhh

Bryce Canyon, overrated

Zion was too crowded to get in

But Avalanche in Glacier was perfect

For a good part of the trail you hiked along these huge cedar trees and a rushing river

Then you took a right hand turn climbing up and over some cool obstacles created by the rocks and trees

You finish the trail by hiking through bushes before you pop out to this beautiful lake that is surrounded by these majestic mountains with waterfalls cascading down

It is so stunning that you don’t want to leave

Three of the disciples get a mountain top experience in today’s passage

Read Matthew 17:1-4a

Transition:

Last week I finished with vs. 28 saying that it was To be continued

It is being continued this week

The time between chapter 16 and 17 is one week

After six days: is based on a Greek way of speaking and means ‘about a week later’.

Jesus said in vs 28

Matthew 16:28 ESV

Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.”

Jesus was talking about seeing him in glorified state, not being alive till his second coming

Peter, James, and John get to see Jesus in His true glorified state

This is similar to how he looks when John sees him in Rev 1:14-15

Revelation 1:14–15 ESV

The hairs of his head were white, like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire, his feet were like burnished bronze, refined in a furnace, and his voice was like the roar of many waters.

We get a beautiful picture of that mountain top experience

I. Mountain Top Experience vs. 1-3

Jesus takes Peter, James, and John to the top of a mountain

Getting away on a mountain can be a time to get away from the grind of the valley and get closer to God

This retreat is unlike any other

vs. 1 Jesus Took them up on a Mountain

Led them up on a high mountain:

There have been several suggestions for the location of the Mount of Transfiguration.

Mount Tabor (about 1,900 feet, 580 meters); but it isn’t high, and isn’t on the way from Caesearea Philippi to Capernaum.

Some say Mount Hermon but it’s elevation is too high and there would be snow at the summit

vs. 2 Jesus Turned As Bright the Sun

The word transfigured speaks of a transformation, not merely a change in outward appearance.

“The verb metamorphoo (‘transfigure,’ ‘transform,’ ‘change in form’) suggests a change of inmost nature that may be outwardly visible.”

The effect was extremely striking;

Jesus became so bright in appearance that He was even difficult to look at (like the sun).

Essentially this was not a new miracle, but the temporary cessation of an ongoing one.

The real miracle was that Jesus, most of the time, could keep from displaying this glory.

Yet John said, We beheld His glory.

Peter wrote, We were eyewitnesses of His majesty.

His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light:

It was His face that did shine as the sun.

He wasn’t transformed into another being with another body; it was His own face that shone.

Jesus has His disciples with Him when He shines in His glory.

He is not glorified apart from them, because they share in His glory.

vs. 3 Moses and Elijah Appear

Moses and Elijah:

Remarkably, these two Old Testament persons appeared and spoke with the transfigured Jesus.

Moses had lived some 1400 years before; Elijah some 900 years before;

yet they were alive and in some sort of resurrected, glorified state.

It is fair to think that these two particular people from the Old Testament appeared because they represent the Law (Moses) and the Prophets (Elijah).

The sum of Old Testament revelation came to meet with Jesus at the Mount of Transfiguration

Moses was supremely God’s man. Besides the Lord Himself, he was arguably the greatest leader in human history.

Perhaps the only other Old Testament man who could have stood with Moses was Elijah.

This prophet was zeal personified, a godly man of unmatched courage, boldness, and fearlessness

Moses was the humility and Elijah was the fire

Moses was the great law giver, and Elijah was the great defender of the law

They were Talking with Him:

Luke 9:31 tells us the theme of their conversation

Luke 9:31 ESV

who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem.

They spoke of the upcoming work of the cross, and presumably of the resurrection to follow.

“Departure” is from the Greek term from which we get exodus.

Just as the Exodus out of Egypt under Moses led God’s people out of the bondage of slavery, the “exodus” of Jesus out of the grave would lead believers out of the bondage of sin

You can presume they were there to offer to support

II. My Beloved Son vs. 4-8

On top of that mountain God decides to speak

He tells the disciples that Jesus is His beloved Son and the need to listen him

vs. 4 Is it good to be here?

As Jesus is meeting with Moses and Elijah the disciples are watching

Peter's can’t stop from reacting

Peter completely failed to comprehend the significance of Jesus’ glory or of Moses’ and Elijah’s testimony.

Peter a man of action

Why did he suggest constructing three booths?

Two reasons

First: It was October

New Testament chronologists have determined that the Jewish month in which the transfiguration took place was Tishri (October), the sixth month before Passover and therefore six months before Jesus’ crucifixion

Tabernacles: Feast of Tabernacles

Commemorating God's faithfulness

Second, Anticipating the coming kingdom

Peter is thinking of the Kingdom age

That is the only feast that will be celebrated during the millennial reign of Chirst

Zechariah 14:16 ESV

Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the Lord of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths.

Peter's mistakes

He wants to stay on the mountain when God wants him to work in the valley

He put Moses and Elijah on the same par with Jesus

Peter listened to Elijah and Moses his whole life

Now time to listen to Jesus

vs. 5a Overshadowed by cloud

While Peter was still Jesus was still babbling God interrupted

If God interrupts you know you’re talking too much

A Bright cloud overshadowed the whole group

Notice it wasn’t a dark foreboding cloud?

The brightness gives you the sense it was full of light, life, and power, not judgment and death

So much is made of dark clouds, thunder, and lightning

Our God is full of light, life, and power

Then comes the voice

vs. 5b Listen to Him

God says, “This is beloved son with who I am well pleased”

This is similar to what God said at Jesus’ baptism

In calling Jesus His Son, the Father declared Him to be of identical nature and essence with Himself

Scripture frequently refers to believers as children of God, but they are adopted children, brought into the heavenly family only through the miracle of His grace

In calling Jesus His beloved Son, the Father declared not only a relationship of divine nature but a relationship of divine love.

They had a relationship of mutual love, commitment, and identification in every way

Then, directly addressing the three disciples, perhaps Peter in particular, God said, “Listen to Him!”

He was saying, in effect, “If My Son tells you He must go to Jerusalem to suffer and die, believe Him.

If He tells you He will be raised up on the third day, believe Him.

If He tells you to take up your own cross and follow Him, that is what you are to do.

If He says He will come again in glory, then believe Him and live accordingly.”

The outspoken, brash Peter and his two companions now knew they stood in the awesome presence of Almighty God.

As would be expected, when the disciples heard this, they fell on their faces and were much afraid.

Peter was probably so utterly traumatized that he promptly forgot about his presumptuous suggestion to build the three tabernacles.

The combined awareness of the Lord’s grace and His majesty, His love and His justice, His friendship and His lordship should cause a kind of spiritual tension in every believer

vs. 6-8 Rise and have no fear

III. Sign of Things to Come vs. 9-13

As they descend the mountain Jesus tells them these are signs of things to com4e

vs. 9 Tell no one

Jesus tells them to say nothing until he is raised from the dead

It must’ve been so difficult to keep this to themselves

It could’ve sparked jealousy amongst the disciples

It could’ve lead the people to make Jesus their king

vs. 10-13 Elijah & John the Baptist

Having just seen Elijah on the mountain, a natural question for Jesus’ disciples was, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?

The prophet Malachi had foretold this would happen

Malachi 4:5–6 ESV

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”

The prediction that the actual Old Testament person of Elijah would be the forerunner of the Messiah and His judgment was well-known to Jews of Jesus’ day.

Therefore, as Peter, James, and John came down the mountainside with the Lord, they could not have helped wondering how the appearance of Elijah they had just witnessed fit in with Malachi’s prophecy

IV. A Lowly Hill vs. 22-23

They have just come down from the mountain top and Jesus reminds them of the lowly hill he is going to die on

All roads are leading to the cross

Closing: 4 Signs of Jesus Deity

Shining like the Sun

Moses & Elijah Appearing

God Speaking

Fulfilled Prophecy linking Elijah & John